Researchers from the University of Kent, a public research university based in the United Kingdom, conducted a recent groundbreaking study measuring the health effects caused by adding fluoride to the public’s water.

While many are still skeptical the added chemical contributes to any negative health effects, this is one of three reputable findings in recent years proving that it does.

After studying data obtained from nearly every medical practice in England, scientists found that fluoride may be increasing the risk for hypothyroidism, also known as ‘underactive thyroid’. This condition in which the thyroid gland fails to produce enough hormones results in symptoms such as fatigue, obesity and depression.

As a holistic health practitioner in league with many naturopathic doctors and alternative-minded physicians world-wide, I can definitely attest to the increase of this illness and the mass confusion that has resulted from its increased diagnosis. At present, about 1 in 10 Americans has thyroid problems,more than the number of Cancer and Diabetes combined.

Having a low-functioning thyroid can also contribute to concerns such as hair loss (from poor circulation), cold hands and feet, muscle cramps and lethargy, and of course the symptoms listed above.

Published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, the study included the largest population ever analyzed in relation to the adverse health effects caused by water fluoridation.

Researchers collected data from 99 percent of England’s 8,020 general medical practices and found that the locations with fluoridated water were 30% more likely to have high levels of hypothyroidism, compared with low, natural levels of the chemical in the water.

That’s shocking, as such a finding means that up to 15,000 people could be suffering from depression, weight gain, fatigue, and aching muscles (not to mention suspected neurological problems) all from this ‘assumedly safe’ chemical.

According to Newsweek: “Overall, there were 9 percent more cases of underachieve thyroid in fluoridated places.” The site also noted that 10 percent of England’s water is fluoridated compared with nearly 70 percent of America’s.

The science paper also compared the fluoridated city of Birmingham with the city of Manchester, which refrains from fluoridating, and found that doctor’s offices in Birmingham were nearly twice as likely to report high levels of hypothyroidism.

Such news obviously has health experts questioning their stance on water fluoridation.

Said Trevor Sheldon, a medical researcher and dean of the Hill York Medical School who has published numerous studies in this field, “The study is an important one because it is large enough to detect differences of potential significance to the health of the population.”

Sheldon, who in the past supported fluoride being added to water, admits that the “case for general water fluoridation is no longer clear.”

While a study last year by Public Health England reported fluoride to be “safe and effective” for improving public health, the neurological and hormonal effects it may cause should not be overlooked. The recent research suggests that the spike in the number of cases of hypothyroidism in areas such as the West Midlands and the North East of England is “concerning for people living in those areas.”

“The difference between the West Midlands, which fluoridates, and Manchester, which doesn’t, was particularly striking. There were nearly double the number of cases in Manchester,” said the study’s lead author, Stephen Peckham.

Said Peckham, “Underactive thyroid is a particularly nasty thing to have and it can lead to other long-term health problems. I do think councils need to think again about putting fluoride in the water. There are far safer ways to improve dental health.”

Women should be especially concerned about this finding, as females are 15 times more likely to develop hypothyroidism than men. This may also point to the reason many women in this era experience difficulty when it comes to losing and finding their balanced weight. When the hormones are out of balance, many things in the body can go awry.

The reason Fluoride might contribute to thyroid concerns is because, according to previous research, the chemical inhibits the thyroid’s ability to use iodine, an essential mineral for maintaining a healthy thyroid gland.

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